Critical components of the HU RCMI Program collaborations and partnerships efforts are 1) the Pilot Projects Key Activity, 2) providing HU investigators training on Team Science or the Science of Collaboration, 3) stimulating enhanced collaboration among HU core facilities, and 4) providing enhanced access to RTRN collaboration support services. The collaborative pilot projects program will be discussed in section 3.4 as an independent key activity. The other aspects of the collaborations and partnerships effort are discussed in this section. As a result, the Pilot Projects and Collaborations and Partnership Key Activities collectively comprised the HU RCMI collaboration effort and are responsive to specific aim 3 of this proposal. The Pilot Projects Key Activity is focused on the direct stimulation/enhancement of collaborative efforts, while the Collaborations and Partnership Key Activity is primarily focused on training and access to resources. The Collaborations and Partnerships Key Activity directly addresses HU's biomedical research goal of encouraging multi-disciplinary approaches to research in the pursuit of those diseases that disproportionately affect minorities and disadvantaged populations.